October 25, 2016

It's All About Jesus Bible Storybook #B&HKids

When it comes to learning Bible stories, children have many valuable tools to help them along the way. There are a lot of books out there that offer new ideas and resources to help kids take in all that the Word of God has to offer. B&H Publishing offers a series of books called The Big Picture Interactive. Now this may ring a bell with some who are reading this, because I have reviewed several of these books in the past. Recently, we've been reading the brand new It's All About Jesus Bible Storybook. Each story in the Bible offers some type of connection to the Messiah, even though it may not always be clear. This book gives children a chance to find out more about those connections.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Give kids the big picture of God’s story with this innovative, interactive Bible storybook. One hundred stories take readers on a journey through the Bible, and the digital pop-ups (accessed with a free "augmented reality" app) bring the art and story remarkably to life with both sound and 3-D imagery.

From Genesis to Revelation, It's All About Jesus Bible Storybook links Jesus to many stories in the Bible, even those in the Old Testament. Being part of The Gospel Project for Kids, it also offers various icons that kids will find in the stories throughout the book. These icons match up with a special curriculum plan. The plan provides a better understanding that the Bible isn't just a group of different stories, but one single story of the Lord's redemption.

I'm always a fan of Heath McPherson's colorful illustrations that display characters and events throughout Biblical history. He really has a way of bringing the story to life in his artwork. Since he's also been an intricate part of The Big Picture Interactive books, we can open each one that we personally own from the series and receive the same visual experience that connects the stories. Every book in The Big Picture Interactive series also offers an enhanced way to tell each story. Parents can download a free app that allows them to scan the various icons throughout. Kids can then watch as the artwork comes to life even more as a digital pop-up, along with audio narration.

As children read the Bible stories, they will find various circles on the pages that ask questions to help them dig deeper into the meaning of the stories, and how everything can be applied in today's world. The "Christ Connection" areas that use scripture references are wonderful, because they really show how Jesus ties into each story. I'm always a fan of the "Parent Connection" section that is very signature to these B&H books. This is a page that offers parents ways in which they can engage in further discussion with their children by using the four key highlights, Remember, Read, Think, and Do.

It's All About Jesus Bible Storybook is definitely meant for older children–each story goes into a lot of detail, so there's a significant amount of text throughout. Of course, that doesn't stop me from enjoying it with my own son. Even though he is still young, we sit together and take in the amazing Bible stories. While he may not fully grasp the meaning to everything we read just yet, I know the earlier we start, the stronger his relationship with God will be when he is older.